Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-09-29
HOUSEKEEPING PESTS.

Complaints are made from various
sectio8s of band of baking powder
tramps whose tricks upon unsuspecting
housekeepers seem to partake very much
of the nature of confidence operations.
The band is composed of women, all
though employed and directed by an
agent of the other sex, and their meth>
DDS of procedure, as explained by sew
eral ladies who tave been victimiZed, is
as follows: Obtaining access TO the
kitchen, they introduce the subject of
baking powders, inquiring the kind
used in the family. Being shown the
can, perhaps fresh, full one, they volt
unteer to test it to ascertain lis quail
ties. Their "test" consists in placing
the can on hot stove or over a lamp
OF gas jet, or in mixing the baking pow
der With water both hot and cold. If
the baking powder is good for anything,
the heat will of course, expel the gas,
which, being amm0niacal or carbonic, is
apparent to the sense of smell. The
claim is then made that this odor indi
Gates something detrimental. although,
as matter of fact, baking powder
that would give off no gas when SUBJ
| jected to heat would be without leaven
| ing power and valueless. They will
also mix the baking powder given them
with water. If pure it effervesces
quickly. The baking powder they ped
ole being similarly mixed, foams up
slowly like yeast, standing, perhaps, over
the top of the glass. This they claim as
evidence of superiority, whereas it is
the exhibition OF trick only, their bak-
ing powder having been specially pres
pared to make this test by the addition
of -four, gun or albumen. 1t is sure
evidance of adulteration. OF course, the
object Of these fraudulent tricks is TO
destroy confidence in all other kinds of
| baking powder, and to sell the particu
lar brand for which The women are trav-
cling.
Were this the whole of the operation,
lhousekeepers would not often be deceiv-
ed Every intelligent person knows
that baking powder is not made to be
used in this way, but in cooking, where
its action is entirely different from that
produced by dry heat or by mixture with
water alone. The chief object of this
| jugglery is to destroy the baking pow
der given for testing; or by heating it
to drive off its leaveniug gases, and so
weaken il that when used it will fail to
work. At the next baking there is
| heavy food, of course, and the tramp
probably gets the credit of having told
the bousekeeper valuable fact, instead
of having spoiled her baking powder, as
was actually the case The average
tramp" will, in this way. destroy from
fifty to seventy five pounds of baking
powder day.
A second method of spelling for use
the baking powder in "A kitchen where
they are not permitted to experiment
/ with it, is by dexterOusly throwing in
the can a small quantity of salt, soda or
powdered lime. Again, should there
chance 10 be no baking powder in the
house. the operators will produce, of the
kind used by the family, sample that
has been purposely adulterated or "dcc>
tored" to make such an exhibit as they
desire under the so called test.
The only way to protect our food
| from being contaminated by tramps of
this kind is to turn all persons who
wish or attempt to tamper with It un-'
tremendously from the door, and to
use those articles, only, which expert
ence has proved satisfactory, or the Off
cial tests have established as pure and
wholesome.